Full Description
Social Support and Health in the Digital Age discusses how theinformation age has revolutionized nearly every facet of human communication—from the ways in which people purchase products to how they meet and fall in love. These exciting new communication technologies can both unite and divide us. People who are separated by great distances can now communicate with each other in real time, whereas parents often find themselves competing with smartphones and tablets for their children's attention. This book explores the many ways that digital communication media, such as online forums, social networking sites, and mobile applications, enhance and constrain social support in health-related contexts. We already know a great deal about how the Internet has altered how people search for health information, but less about how people seek and receive social support in this new age of information, which is critical for maintaining our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.
Contents
Section 1: Social Support via Social Network Sites
Chapter 1: Social Network Sites as Vehicles for Effective/Ineffective Social Support by Sonja Utz
Chapter 2: Communication Technology Affordances and Social Support Provision by Stephen A. Rains
Chapter 3: The Mechanics of Supportive Facebook Messages: An Analysis of Health-Related Posts, Responses, and Perceptions by Nichole Egbert and Tammy Bosley
Chapter 4: Complexities of Channel Publicness and (In)Effective Support Behaviors by Andrew C. High, Emily M. Buehler, and Lucas Youngvorst
Chapter 5: Communicating Loneliness on Social Networking Sites: Challenges to Emotional Disclosure and Online Support Seeking by Guanjin Zhang and Jesse Fox
Section 2: Social Support in Dedicated Online Groups
Chapter 6: Online Support Groups Dedicated to Specific Health Problems by Wenjing Pan, Bo Feng, and Siyue Li
Chapter 7: What Determines the Quality of Relationships in Health-Related Online Support Groups? A Study of Attitudinal Similarity, Degree of Online Participation, and Personal Characteristics by Kevin Wright and E.J. van Ingen
Chapter 8: Uncertainty Management in Online Support Forums for Stroke Survivors and Caregivers by Bryan Abendschein
Chapter 9: Making Collective Sense of Uncertainty: How Online Social Support Communities Negotiate Meaning for Contested Illnesses by Laura D. Russell
Section 3: Emerging Research Trends and Perspectives
Chapter 10: Examining Health Communication Practices and Social Support through Mediated Channels: A Communication Privacy Management (CPM) Theory Perspective by Jeffrey T. Child and Shawn C. Starcher
Chapter 11: Aging in Computer-Mediated Community: The Importance of Online Connections for Older Adults by Jill Yamasaki and Jennifer E. Ohs
Chapter 12: When Big Data Meet Supportive Communication: Advancing mHealth Intervention Informed by Social Support Scholarship by Heewon Kim, Cristopher Tietsort, and Karlee Posteher
